Reliable infrastructure delivery isn’t just an operational achievement, or a financial one, it’s a cultural one. 

As OE Utility Services marks 30 years of operating across Ontario, the question I think about most in this role is straightforward: what kind of workplace produces 30 years of safe, consistent delivery AND how do we keep building it? 

The previous articles in this series have addressed leadership, operations, sales, and finance. If you haven’t read them, they’re worth your time: 

1. Honouring Our 30-Year Legacy and Shaping What’s Next — Keith Boulton, CEO 
2. Reliability at Scale: Leading Operational Excellence — Tony Kerwin, COO 
3. Growth Through Trust: The Discipline Behind Sustainable Sales — George Chung, CSO 
4. Built to Last: The Financial Discipline Behind 30 Years of Reliable Growth — David Branigan, CFO 

Each of those leaders has spoken to a different dimension of how OE has operated over three decades. The dimension I want to address is the one that runs underneath all of them, the people who actually do the work, and the culture that allows them to do it well. 

Thirty years of safe, reliable delivery is not built by equipment. It is built by people. And people don’t show up that consistently, for that long, by accident. 

People First Is an Operational Standard, not an HR Program 

In utility services “People First” can sometimes be treated as a soft idea; words on a wall, a section in the employee handbook, a line in a recruiting deck. 

That is not how it operates at OE. 

People First is the standard that determines whether a project is safe, whether a crew is ready to execute, whether a Customer’s scope is delivered on time, and whether the next generation chooses to stay in this industry. It is not a sentiment. It is an operating reality, and it shows up - or it doesn’t - in the field. 

My responsibility as CHRO is to make sure People First is consistently practiced. That means hiring practices that prioritize capability and character. A robust and purposeful onboarding process designed to set employees up for safe and successful performance in the field. Leadership development gives supervisors the tools to support and engage - not just manage. Compensation, benefits, and support systems that reflect the demands of the job. 

None of that is HR theatre. All of it is operational infrastructure. 

Safety Culture and People Culture Are the Same Culture 

In an industry built on physically demanding, high-consequence work, the line between safety culture and people culture doesn’t exist. It’s the same line. 

A crew member carrying stress, exhaustion, or personal difficulty into a work zone is not just a wellness concern. It’s a safety concern. A supervisor who hasn’t been given the training to recognize when someone is off - or the authority to act on it - is a liability, not a leader. A workplace where raising a concern is treated as inconvenient instead of expected is one where small problems become serious ones. 

OE’s approach is practical, and it has been refined over 30 years: 

• Pre-task planning that accounts for crew readiness, not just the physical scope of the work 
• Supervisors trained to recognize the difference between a tired crew and a struggling one, and equipped to respond 
• Open lines to HR and leadership, with the expectation that using them is normal, not noteworthy 
• A workplace where someone can say “I’m not okay today” and be met with support, not suspicion 

When people culture is strong, safety performance follows. When it isn’t, no amount of process documentation can compensate. 

Building a Workplace, Not Just a Workforce 

There is a difference between filling roles and building a workplace. The first is transactional. The second is what produces 30 years of consistency. 

Building a workplace means the conditions under which people do their work are taken as seriously as the work itself. It means PPE that fits the people on the crew, not “one size fits most.” It means a site culture where the expectation is respect, not endurance. It means leadership that is visible, accountable, and accessible, not just at the office, but on the ground. 

It also means recognizing that the trades, and utility services specifically are changing. Women are taking up more space in the industry as operators, supervisors, engineers, and senior leaders. Not as a quota, but because the work is better when the people doing it reflect the communities served. Indigenous partnerships, fair wage commitments, and apprenticeship pathways are no longer adjacent to operations, they are part of how OE operates. 

A workplace that reflects the people in it, and the communities it serves, is stronger than one that doesn’t. That’s not a values statement. It’s an operating principle. 

Building the Next Generation of Leaders 

One of the most important responsibilities in my role, and one OE’s leadership team takes seriously, is ensuring that the next 30 years of our business are led as strongly as the last. At OE, that starts from within. 

We’ve recently seen a number of employees step into new roles across the organization, moving from the field into leadership positions, expanding their scope, and taking on greater responsibility. These aren’t one-off success stories; they reflect a deliberate focus on developing our people and creating clear pathways for growth. 

That means investing in our workforce in a way that is practical and continuous: pairing developing employees with experienced operators and supervisors who actively pass on their knowledge, providing opportunities to build leadership capability in real time, and ensuring employees can see a future for themselves here beyond their current role. 

The skilled trades shortage across Ontario is real, but the answer isn’t external alone. It’s about recognizing and developing the talent already on the ground - people who understand the work, the standards, and the expectations - and giving them the opportunity to grow into the next generation of leaders. 

OE is committed to that approach, and it’s already shaping the future of our organization. 

Looking Ahead 

As OE enters its 30th year, the people priorities are consistent with the ones that got us here: 

• Continued investment in leadership development, training, and mentorship 
• Retention strategies that protect the experience and stability that Customers rely on 
• A safety culture and people culture treated as intertwined one engaged culture 
• Training and recognition that build the next generation of OE crews and leaders 
• A workplace that reflects, respects, and serves the diverse communities OE works in across Ontario 

The people-first culture that built OE over 30 years is not a constraint on what comes next. It is exactly what makes the next chapter possible. 

In Closing 

Infrastructure delivery at the scale, a standard at which OE operates, depends on engaged employees who show up ready to perform, and on organizations that are equally committed to showing up for them. 

My commitment, and the commitment of every leader at OE, is to keep building the kind of workplace people want to be part of. Not because they have to, but because they feel valued, supported, and proud to build their careers at OE. 

That is what 30 years of people-first culture has produced. And it is what the next 30 years will be built on. 

Nicole Chapman 

Chief Human Resources Officer | OE Utility Services | www.oeservices.ca 

What does a people-first workplace mean to you? Please contact us to discuss and find out how OE Utility Services can help you!